Fray F. Pozo-Lora

Durham School of AEC

Peter Kiewit Institute

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

I am a researcher working at the intersection of structural and construction engineering motivated by the resilience and sustainability of communities. I develop mechanics-based methods to predict the behavior of partially composite concrete structures, investigate the behavior of structural components under static and cyclical load, and perform structural reliability analyses. These aspects help engineers and stakeholders make informed decisions about the implementation of sustainable and economical materials and components to promote a more sustainable world.

I have experience using structural analysis methods and techniques, computer algorithms and finite element software, and displacement, load, strain, and temperature sensors to introduce sustainable and durable alternatives for bridge and building components, develop calculation methods that engineers can use to complete routine design tasks, and increase community resilience through the use of calibrated safety factors.

news

Mar 22, 2023	I started my postdoctoral position in the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at UNL!

selected publications

Determination of the Mechanical Properties of Flexible Connectors for Use in Insulated Concrete Wall Panels

Fray F. Pozo-Lora, and Marc Maguire

JoVE, 2022

Abs

This document contains recommendations for performing a non-standard, double-shear test suitable for both continuous and discrete insulated concrete sandwich wall panels (ICSWPs). Such a standardized test does not exist, but several iterations of this and similar tests have been performed in the literature to varying degrees of success. Further, the tests in the literature are rarely-if ever-described in detail or discussed at length with respect to the testing, data analysis, or safety procedures. A test specimen configuration is recommended herein, and variations are discussed. Important mechanical properties are identified from the load versus displacement data, and their extraction is detailed. The use of test data for design, such as for determining the stiffness of the connectors, is briefly demonstrated to show how ICSWP deflection and cracking behavior may be calculated. The strength behavior of panels may be determined using the full load versus displacement curve or only the maximum connector strength. Shortcomings and unknowns are acknowledged, and significant future work is delineated.
Thermal bowing of concrete sandwich panels with flexible shear connectors

Fray Pozo-Lora, and Marc Maguire

Journal of Building Engineering, May 2020

Abs

Thermal bowing, often referred to as bulging or out-of-plane wall deflection, is a common issue in sandwich panel walls caused by a temperature differential between a building’s interior temperature and the outside environment. This paper aims to better understand the thermal load response of concrete sandwich wall panels. Fundamental mechanics related to thermal bowing are developed and presented when using standard flexible shear connectors. A relatively simple set of equations are then presented for use in design and verified using full-scale models. Finite element analyses are also performed and compared to the developed sandwich beam theory. This study concludes that current design practices used for solid panels provide an inaccurate prediction of the bowing value because of the nature of force and deformation variations on panels subjected to thermal gradients. The concrete stresses, shear connector forces, and panel deformations result in a non-linear relationship with geometric properties and a linear one with properties of concrete and thermal force.